The show is in your yard—how much does it cost?

It is free for the public. You drive by.

How does it work?

My roommate, Robert Bronakoski, and I use a regular desktop computer and special control software to send commands to two electrical control boxes in the yard that are connected by network cable, and that tells the lights what to do.

This isn't your first light show...

We started with Halloween 2009 and had a pretty good turnout, then Christmas, and New Year's. Naturally, we've added stuff.

How much do you have invested?

About $4,000. I did count the light bulbs, and we've got 3,000. That's small compared to a lot of them you see on YouTube, but we're growing. We keep adding—we're definitely creating a monster.

What kind of music goes along with the show?

Any of them your favorite?

Disney's Holiday Magic—that sequence came out really well.

The New Year's show is a bit different?

Actually, that night the lights go out at 11, and it stays dark until the last 60 seconds. Then two or three lights in the yard go on every 20 seconds. Then for the "10, 9, 8..." different trees light up. At midnight the whole yard explodes in lights with different sequences to a techno version of "Auld Lang Syne."

So the neighbors don't mind?

No, the volume of speakers in the yard is just loud enough that you can hear it with your car windows down, but not really at the neighbors' houses. Next year, it's been so cold we're planning to make it so you can hear the music from an FM radio in the car.

The West Knoxville Light Show is at 11617 Foxford Dr. daily through Jan. 1, with musical light shows 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Lights On Only 9:31 p.m.-11 p.m. (through 12:15 a.m. New Year's) For more information and directions: westknoxlightshow.com